Portrait of Annabel Bassil>
7 December 2021
Annabel Bassil graduated from our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in 2019. She currently works as a Junior Legal Advisor at Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre.
In this role, she supports the delivery of training courses and conducts legal research on international humanitarian law (IHL). Passionate about research, she recently published an article on armed escorts to humanitarian convoys in the International Review of the Red Cross. She previously worked at the European Court of Human Rights as a Legal Trainee.
In this interview, she tells about the programme and what it brought to her career.
Olivier Chamard/Geneva Academy
The programme offers a comprehensive view of the laws applying in or related to armed conflicts. They range from public international law to IHL, international human rights law and international refugee law. I particularly appreciated the fact that the programme allows for critical thinking on those topics. The quality of the courses – which were delivered by the best experts in their respective fields – largely contributed to this positive experience.
The programme also prepares students to face practical global challenges. It often relied on case studies as a learning methodology and offered moot court competitions and internships.
In sum, it is a good combination of theory and practice.
The teaching was excellent. As a person who is passionate about learning, my thirst for high-quality legal knowledge was more than satisfied. The pace was intense but thanks to the teamwork that we managed to organize with a group of students, the learning journey was enjoyable.
The ties that I formed with my classmates are my best memories of the programme. We were spending most of our time together and I formed memorable relationships. Some of the friends that I met back then are now among my closest friends.
The LLM was an asset to advance my career because I used my knowledge in the positions that I subsequently worked in.
The alumni community of the programme is also invaluable.
After the LLM, I worked as a Legal Trainee at the European Court of Human Rights. A great portion of my work was directly related to the topics that we discussed at the Geneva Academy. In my role as Junior Legal Advisor at Diakonia IHL Centre, I also use my knowledge of IHL extensively.
Most of all, I learned critical thinking and rigorous analytical skills. I find those skills essential in any career and in life more generally.
Yes, I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fast-paced, high-quality academic journey in International Law related to armed conflicts.
In the 2023-24 academic year students from our two Geneva based Masters Programmes embarked on study trips to Georgia and Morocco.
Geneva Academy
We organize online information sessions for prospective students interested in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and Master in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
Adobe Stock
This panel event explores the role that emotions play in the development, deployment, and regulation of artificial intelligence in warfare.
Adobe
This event will identify strategies to strengthen Local and Regional Government collaboration with National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up.
ICRC
This online short course provides an overview of the content and evolution of the rules governing the use of unilateral force in international law, including military intervention on humanitarian grounds and the fight against international terrorism. It focuses on the practice of states and international organizations.
This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.
UNAMID
This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.
ICRC
As a yearly publication, it keeps decision-makers, practitioners and scholars up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges in IHL implementation in over 100 armed conflicts worldwide – both international and non-international.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy